How you doin? We're having a wacky day. Sorry I'm so late with the email today. There's a ton going on with us as usual. I'm still off of work. I'm not sure of my return date. My job seems to have turned seasonal. I went to A.C. to avoid seasonal work in the first place. Oh, well. I may need to start looking around. I hope not, but I need to work since Stacey's home schooling the kids.
I was at the unemployment office at 7:30am in a huge line (outside) waiting for the office to open. It was so cold, 14 degrees. As I'm standing listening to foul language and rather low intelligence, I was praying for tolerance. I'm praying for God to "get me through this". As God so often does, He spoke back to me. He said, "This is who you'll be ministering to". Needless to say, I was taken back. I started looking and listening closer. Drugs and alcohol were more then evident in the conversations and on the faces of those I was standing in line with. So I started to pray differently. I started praying for God to give me peace and understanding about these folks. God began to change my mind. I started seeing these folks as victims. I felt sympathy toward them. God gave me a heart for them. I started to see that each person there was eligible for and needed Jesus just as much (if not more) as anyone. I felt pretty bad about myself for thinking so poorly of them, but I was glad that God used my 3 hour visit to the unemployment office to soften my heart to the unlovable.
I was at the unemployment office at 7:30am in a huge line (outside) waiting for the office to open. It was so cold, 14 degrees. As I'm standing listening to foul language and rather low intelligence, I was praying for tolerance. I'm praying for God to "get me through this". As God so often does, He spoke back to me. He said, "This is who you'll be ministering to". Needless to say, I was taken back. I started looking and listening closer. Drugs and alcohol were more then evident in the conversations and on the faces of those I was standing in line with. So I started to pray differently. I started praying for God to give me peace and understanding about these folks. God began to change my mind. I started seeing these folks as victims. I felt sympathy toward them. God gave me a heart for them. I started to see that each person there was eligible for and needed Jesus just as much (if not more) as anyone. I felt pretty bad about myself for thinking so poorly of them, but I was glad that God used my 3 hour visit to the unemployment office to soften my heart to the unlovable.
Matthew 9:12-13, "On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
Mark 2:17, "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
This story is very well told in Luke 5:27-32. The point is, I find myself lured to who I'm lured to. To the folks that I want to minister to. The folks that are easier to love. After today, Jesus pointed out to me that in order to follow Him, I'll need to see everyone the way He sees them. So as cold as I was standing outside in 14 degree weather, with the flu, for over an hour and then 2 more hours inside the unemployment office with what first seemed like a bunch of low life's, I'm glad I was there. I didn't minister to anyone today, because it took the entire time for God to get me out of my own way. I did see that this group of people was my ministry field.
I was thinking about how lately I've felt like the people I try to minister to are comfortable with where they are at in their walk/life. They don't really hunger for anything, except maybe more financial security and less guilt about their sin. The people Jesus ministered to where hungry for a better life and once they met Him, they realized He was the Way to a better life. COME ON!!!!!!! I saw those people today hungry for a better life. They just haven't met Jesus yet. God really turned me upside down today. I'm sure there's more to come of this. Try to figure out what Jesus meant when he said "I desire mercy, not sacrifice", today.
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